Unrated Director’s Cut of ‘Deadgirl’ Announced for DVD

Dark Sky Films has officially announced their unrated director’s cut DVD release of Deadgirl, the indie coming-of-age horror film that arrives at retailers on September 15th. DVD Extras include the `Making Of’ Deadgirl, Feature-length Cast & Crew Commentary, Make-up Effects Still Gallery, Red Band trailer, Green Band trailer and English Subtitles. You’ll find the cover art and full announcement below.It has been called “audacious” (Hollywood Reporter), “unsettlingly sexual” (IndieWIRE) and “pretty much f***ing brilliant” (Ain’t It Cool News). Thought to be too controversial to release, it would go on to shock audiences, outrage religious groups, and blow away midnight movie crowds from coast to coast. It remains one of the most daringly original and disturbing films of our time. Now, after taking away the breath of viewers around the world, DEADGIRL makes its U.S. commercial debut. On September 15, 2009, Dark Sky Films will release the movie in two DVD versions: the original R-rated cut and the unrated Director’s Cut, containing a raft of must-see extras. Each DVD has an SRP of $24.98.

Bored teens looking for trouble, an abandoned building and a naked woman. These are the ingredients that combine to form one of the most terrifying and disturbing American movies in years. The coming-of-age genre has never seen anything like DEADGIRL. Christopher Webster — executive producer of the terrifying “Hellraiser” and the black comedy classic “Heathers” – and co-directors Marcel Sarmiento (“Heavy Petting”) and Gadi Harel have created a film that moves the horror film in a daring new direction.

Sarmiento and Harel, working from Trent Haaga’s original screenplay, take their young characters and the audience on a strange and truly unsettling ride. Rickie (Shiloh Fernandez) and JT (Noah Segan) are high school misfits who cut out of school and go wandering in the decaying remains of a nearby abandoned mental hospital. While roaming the dank basement halls they make a gruesome discovery: a young woman stripped naked and chained to a table, a plastic bag over her head. She seems dead, until one of the boys touches her and she moves. Rickie wants to call the police, but JT stops him – he has more demented plans in mind for the helpless girl. When another male friend learns about the captive girl, the violence and sexual depravity are amped up even further.

Considered too controversial to release, DEADGIRL nevertheless went on to shock audiences at such prestigious festivals as Toronto and Sitges, outrage religious groups, and blow away midnight movie crowds from coast to coast. It remains one of the most daringly original and disturbing films of our time. “One of the smartest teen horrors I’ve watched in some time,” raved the critic at Indiewire. Slashfilm said the movie “floats smoothly between dark comedy and horror, and the result is a coming-of-age film like you’ve never seen before (or will likely ever see again).” The Ain’t It Cool News reviewer said, “I have never seen a film that so absolutely captured the sheer horror of peer pressure,” while Variety noted that it “skirts the edge without going over, and judging from the raucous reception, twisted auds clearly do exist for such blatantly `wrong’ material.”

In addition to Shiloh Fernandez (“The United States of Tara,” a lead role in the upcoming “Gossip Girls” spinoff) and Noah Segan (“Brick,” the forthcoming “Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever”), DEADGIRL features Michael Bowen (“Kill Bill,” “Last House on the Left”) and such up-and-coming actors as Candice Accola (“Juno,” “On the Doll”) and Eric Podnar (“7th Heaven”).

The Unrated Director’s Cut of DEADGIRL will be accompanied by a `Making Of’ documentary, cast and crew commentary, a featurette about the make-up effects, a stills gallery, two trailers including the restricted “Red Band” preview, and optional English subtitles. The R-rated DVD will include the original trailer and English subtitles.